Meet the Sew-cial Network Part Four: Heidi Munn
Hello and welcome to the fourth edition of the ‘meet the Sew-cial Network’ series. We here at Knotzland believe that understanding where your clothes come from leads to a greater appreciation of their artisanal aspects. Knotzland is powered by our remote sewing force, affectionately named, the ‘Sew-cial Network’. In this series, we will learn more about the incredible people behind our masks and bowties.
This week’s interview is with Heidi Munn. Heidi grew up in Zelienople Pennsylvania, but has lived in Pittsburgh after graduating from college. She has been volunteering for Knotzland for many months, taking on some ambitious projects that hope to push Knotzland in our use and re-use of our rescued fabrics.
We hope you enjoy this interview with the supremely talented Heidi Munn!
Heidi Showing off her hand crocheted hat!
How long have you volunteered for Knotzland? and in what capacity do you volunteer?
When I read about Knotzland last winter, I was completely blown away not only by what Nisha was doing, but by how she was doing it… and was very inspired! In fact, I was moved to finally use some old upholstery swatches, to create a boho tote bag. Then, when I saw that she had a volunteer program, I reached out and started around mid-June. So far, I’ve mainly helped with shipping supplies, and dismantling upholstery swatch books. Also, they recently gave me a bag of leftover fabric scraps to play with, to see if they could be assembled into larger pieces of fabric (for an upcoming project).
How long have you been sewing? Where did you first learn to sew? Who taught you?
I’m pretty sure I had a needle and thread in my hands, in my mother’s womb! I have no conscious memory of learning to sew, including using a sewing machine. I come from a long line of sewing enthusiasts - including quilting and crocheting - so it’s likely that it’s just in my DNA. My mother told me that I made the pink dress in the photo, when I was about 7 years old…and she said that she did very little to help me!
Heidi’s first dress project.
What is your fondest memory related to sewing?
It was a perfect, breezy summer day, and I was sitting on my front porch, sewing a purple skirt for a Barbie doll. To this day, the combination of hand sewing and being outdoors is deeply satisfying for me.
What challenges did you face in learning to sew?
The biggest challenge was that we had 1 sewing machine, but 3 of us (my mom, my older sister, and I) were always trying to use it!
Chakra Book Series: Chakra #3
How does your creative process start, and where do you find inspiration most often (in sewing and other mediums)?
Before the internet, I loved going to fabric stores to look at the pattern books, and to run my hands across the aisles and aisles of fabrics. But now with the internet, inspiration is everywhere… Instagram, Flickr, Pinterest, Google-searches, blogs, etc. Something will catch my eye and my brain starts churning. Sometimes I’m inspired simply by seeing some fabrics randomly lying next to each other on my work table and my instinct is, “wow, those things need to be sewn together”!
Have you taught anyone else to sew, and what challenges did you face in teaching?
I’ve rarely taught others to sew! Just recently I tried to teach a neighbor to hand sew, and I realized how difficult it is! Things that are simply part of my muscle memory are hard for me to translate to words. Even when I’m just randomly sewing things together (like a tote bag or purse), I find it very difficult to write my steps down in a notebook.
Tote Bag- Heidi Munn
What is the thing you are most proud of making (sewing or other creative endeavors)?
I hand-sewed a series of books that represent the 7 chakras of our body’s energy system. Every book is completely different. I made the first book with no intention in mind other than to “just start sewing things together.” But, once I completed that book, I knew it represented the root chakra, and the series was born. I think that one of the hardest parts of any creative process, is to actually finish a project! That was very true for this book project, as some of the books were quite complicated, and I had to really force myself to keep going at times.
Root Chakra Book- Heidi Munn
Is there anything you would like to add to the article? It could be another thing you’re involved in, or a cause you’re passionate about.
My deepest and lifelong passions revolve around meditation, creativity, psychology, consciousness, behavior, and the human body-mind-brain connection.
We hope you enjoyed this interview with Heidi as much as we did! For more on the Sew-cial Network check back on our blog in the coming weeks for more content and interviews!